


Stay In Control

by SweetieFiend



Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, F/M, Fighting, Fluff, M/M, Marking, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Other, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-26 21:51:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12067671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetieFiend/pseuds/SweetieFiend
Summary: Dan and Brian aren't typical Alphas and it brings them together. But when Brian moves away and Dan adjusts to being alone he meets Arin Hanson and his wife, Suzy, who are Omegas. Feelings arise when Brian moves back and they try and pick up where they left off. However, when Heat comes around it adds on a whole list of complications neither Brian or Dan were prepared for.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this concept for a little over a year and was originally going to be a one shot. But chapter seems to be the away to go for this. I hope you all enjoy! 
> 
> Thank you to what-with-the-egobang-and-such for betaing!

Dan was the first Alpha in his family. Well, not the very first, but the first Alpha in a few decades. His family mostly consisted of Betas with a sprinkle of Alpha here and there. Growing up, Dan was never fully comfortable with being an Alpha. His family tried to understand and help him out as best they could, but they never fully understood him. He barely fit in with the alphas at his school and the few friends he was able to make poked fun at his social standing. He felt entirely alone growing up, until he met Brian.  
  
  
Brian came from a family of Alphas, but he wasn't a typical Alpha either. He was very intelligent and not very muscular, but had some build to him. They met through mutual friends who were meeting up at a nightclub. Brian remembers seeing how uncomfortable Dan was. He was invited through a mutual friend and Dan hugged the wall in the back of the bar, looking like he just wanted to go home, so Brian approached him and the two began to talk.  
  
  
They both had a passion for music. Brian was more into classical and reggae while Dan adored hard rock. Dan told Brian how he had been trying to start a band for several years.  
  
    “I love music, but every band I’ve been in just hasn’t worked…” He sighed and sipped on his drink.  
  
    “That sucks. It's hard wanting something like that and have it not work out.” Brian scratched the back of his head.  
  
    “You know how it feels?” Dan asked and Brian shrugged.  
  
    “I dunno if it's exactly how you feel but, you know how there’s something you want to do versus what I have to do? Well I love music, but I also love math and science and well...even though music is definitely the fun route I know in my head that math and science will get me somewhere.” Dan just listened and nodded.  
  
    “Once I’m done school I hope to do something like that, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun in the meantime.” Brian leaned in.  
  
    “Come over to my apartment, we can jam. I know keyboard.” Dan will never fully understand why he agreed to go to a stranger's apartment that night. They jammed out, wrote down some lyrics, and by the early morning they had three songs written down. He became hopeful, maybe something could come of this.  
  
  
In between working and school the two of them would meet up at each others apartment and work on their music together. Brian always brought it back to a dick joke somehow and it made Dan laugh. Their jam sessions were always productive and were the highlight of their week and it became a problem for Dan. He was falling for Brian, and he shouldn’t. They were both Alphas and Brian couldn’t have seen Dan that way. He was older, smarter, more talented, good looking. That's why Dan was surprised one evening when Brian kissed first. They were winding down and Brian had brought over some wine and even though Dan didn’t drink often, he had a glass or two, because it was something to do with Brian.  
  
“You’re so beautiful to me…”  
  
“But we’re…” Dan leaned back.  
  
“We’re what? Guys? Alphas? So what?” Brian asked as he placed a hand on Dan's knee. “If this is uncomfortable for you we can stop and I won’t…”  
  
“N-no. Just...hang on.” Dan flushed as he took a deep breath and kissed Brian back, it was quick and he pulled away just as fast.  
  
“Stuff like this is...confusing and hard for me but...with you I think I can figure it out. I-I just...don’t know what this is exactly. But I do know that I want to be with you, just give me time.”  
  
  
Brian gave Dan all the time he needed. He never made another advancement on him and they didn’t speak about their kiss for several weeks. Their sessions went by normally and before either of them knew it, they had a full album's worth of music they were both proud of. Their gimmick was of a psychotic ninja running around with his sexed up “platonic life partner”. They liked it and they both thought the idea was funny. Dan's idea for a blue blazer inspired costume was amusing to Brian, although he admits he mostly wanted to see Dan run around in spandex.  
  
  
The day they released their album was the day Dan was ready. He and Brian were in the car holding their first physical copy as he leaned over and kissed Brian on the mouth. Brian kissed him back, cupping his hand on Dan's neck. Dan was smiling and blushing like a teenager. He was so happy. He wanted to be with Brian. He wanted to pursue his dream with him. Which made things that much harder when Brian had to move to England.  
  
  
It was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. Dan knew how badly Brian worked for this. He was amazing in his field and it would set him up for life. They stood hand in hand at the airport as Dan tried not to cry.  
  
  
“It's okay. I’ll visit, and we can still write together and…” Brian wiped a tear from Dan's eye. “And I’ll still love you,” Brian told him and Dan nodded.  
  
  
“I love you, too.” Dan kissed him. “Now go, you’ll miss your flight and you don't want that.” His heart was breaking.  
  
  
Brian hugged and kissed Dan one last time before walking into the terminal. He ran into the bathroom and cried after he cleared through TSA. He already missed Dan and he wasn't even on the plane yet. Brian would work hard and make sure things stayed the same between him and Dan. They would write music, call and still be together. He would make sure of it. He would make sure Dan knew how much he meant to Brian.  
  
  
They stayed consistent. They called and texted with the occasional video chat. But then Brian got busier and his days got longer. Dan was working on their band alone and their relationship was a big ball of emotional confusion. That is until the day Dan Avidan met Arin Hanson.


	2. Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan meets Arin and Suzy. Brian is worried about Dan since he is so far away

Brian was on his lunch break when he got the email from Dan. It was forwarded from an address he had never seen before. This was his third year in England and things were going alright. He flew to New York twice a year to film videos and record with Dan. Those moments were always special to him and seeing Dan was the number one highlight. Since he was only around twice a year, Dan kept to emailing him information about the band. Their channel had a decent number of subscribers and Dan was ecstatic about it. 

 

**_‘Hey babe! Check this guy out, he wants to animate one of our videos!’_ **

 

Attached was an email Brian knew Dan didn’t write. His handle was juvenile sounding, to Brian at least, and it included a link to a website. When he clicked on it he saw that ‘Egoraptor’ had a following a hundred times the size of the band’s. This guy wanted to animate a music video for Dan and him?

 

‘ **_Dude lives in Cali and I’m flying out there to meet him! Gonna stay with my Uncle so excited! We’re really going places Bri! <3’_ **

 

Brian read on and Dan went on a tangent about band talk and how he had just been doing in general. He smiled and typed up reply, sending it back to Dan, he’d call him later that night. For the rest of his break he looked at Egoraptor's newgrounds page. 

 

~~

 

“Hey, babe! Can you see me?” Dan asked as he looked at his computer screen.

 

“Yeah, can you see me?”

  
  
“No, turn on your webcam.” Dan smiled.

 

“I’m not used to this…” Brian sighed as he came into view. 

 

This was the first time they used video chat, Dan had gotten enough money to buy one, but it was still a new concept to Brian. When Brian came into view Dan relaxed and smiled. Brian noticed how tired he looked. 

 

“Hey Bri.” Dan ran his hand through his hair.

 

“Hey, you cut your hair?” It was a lot shorter than when he saw it last.

 

“Yeah, I wanted to look nice meeting this guy. He apparently already started working on the music video.” There were circles under Dan's eyes and the room was dim. 

 

“Have you been sleeping?” Brian asked and Dan shrugged.

 

“Enough, works been work. Nothing compared to what you do,” he tried to joke.

 

“It isn't a competition on who works more. You need to take care of yourself,” Brian told him. 

 

“Yeah, I know.” Dan smiled. “So, tell me about your day. “

 

Brian thought his day was boring, but told Dan about it anyway. Dan just sat and listened to him. He was curled in the computer chair with a mug that looked warm to hold. When Brian talked, he used technical terms that Dan didn't understand. Dan didn't mind, when he really didn't understand something Brian would explain it again. 

 

“I feel stupid talking to you sometimes,” Dan laughed and Brian's expression softened. 

 

“I don't mean to make you feel stupid.”

 

“It's a joke, Bri.” Dan blew it off.

 

“I don't like when you joke like that,” Brian told him and Dan shrugged.

 

“So, I’m going to California next week.” Dan changed the subject. 

“Yeah? Are you excited?” Brian asked. 

 

“Yeah, I am! My flight isn’t too early so I’ll probably just listen to some tunes on the way. Write a song or two if I'm lucky,” Dan said. 

 

He knew Dan would be staying with his Uncle while he was out there, but that didn't mean he was any less worried that Dan would be meeting a stranger. Dan was a grown man who could take care of himself, but he was still worried. What if this “Arin” was one of  _ those  _ Alphas? Dan was an Alpha too but, compared to the norm, he might as well be a Beta. 

 

“Bri? You listening?” Dan asked. 

 

“You’ll let me know when you land right?” he asked

 

“Yeah, of course.”

 

“And when you’re with your Uncle? When you meet Arin? Make sure you’re in public in case he turns out to be an axe murderer.” He told Dan, who shifted in his seat to lean in close to the webcam.

 

“I’ll be fine, Brian.”

 

“Promise me anyway.”

 

“I promise, Brian. I will rely on you to come and save me if Arin turns out to be Leatherface or something.” Dan smiled

 

“Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a classic, Daniel.” That made him laugh.

 

~~

 

Arin stood in the mirror making sure he looked presentable. He combed his hair and adjusted his shirt. Were jeans too casual? Would wearing slacks be too formal? His wife, Suzy, came into their room and hugged him from behind. 

“You look good, babe.” She smiled. 

“Thanks.”

“You're meeting that Dan guy right? From Ninja something or other?” She sat on the bed.

“Ninja Sex Party and yeah. They're the band Ross showed me, and I still can't believe the dude got back to me.” Arin grabbed his keys.

“You took your suppressant right?” Suzy asked as they walked to the door. 

“Yep, all good.” He kissed her. “Don't wait up.” 

“I’ve for a date with some takeout and cats, you two have fun.” She smiled and waved goodbye. About an hour and a half later, while Suzy was sitting on the couch watching TV, she received a text.

“He’s so cute!”

 

When Arin came home later that night, he was smiling.

 

“Hey, babe. How'd it go?” Suzy asked as he sat in the chair.

 

“Really well! We went to that sushi place and it was chill. We talked mostly and exchanged numbers.” He flipped through his phone. “Would you be okay if he came over later this week?” 

 

Suzy nodded.

 

“Sure. I’d like to meet him too.”

 

~~

 

Brian was practicing a new song on his keyboard when his phone rang and he jumped for it. Dan had been in California for a week and he hadn't heard much from him. 

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey, Brian!” Dan said, happily. He was out in public from all the background noise he could hear.

 

“Hey, where are you?” Brian asked.

 

“The airport. I wanted to call before I got on my plane,” Dan said.

 

“Oh okay. Have fun on your trip?” Brian settled back into the couch.

 

“Yeah. Arin is super cool and talented and his wife, Suzy, is fucking gorgeous.” Dan sighed. Brian knew Dan was very attracted to girls, he was surprised when Dan was okay with dating him. So, of course, he was use to hearing Dan rave about hot girls, even though they had different types. 

 

“I’m glad you had a good time out there, Dan.”

 

“Yeah. Suzy was actually coloring scenes from the music video when I met her. Arin thinks he should have it done by the end of the month!” Brian had forgotten that was why Dan went out there in the first place. 

 

“I’m excited to see it.” Brian smiled. 

 

“Okay, I have to go check in. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?” Dan said.

 

“Alright, Dan. Have a safe flight, I love you.”

 

“Love you too, Bri.”

  
  



	3. Together Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian visits Dan in California and is anxious about their reunion

Dan was moving to California and Brian was happy for him, but a nagging worry was in the back of his mind. It was only a few months ago when Dan went out there to meet Arin.  Then he kept going to visit, now he's moving out there. He knows that he will have more opportunities there than in New York. He knows that Dan had been getting along well with Arin and Suzy. But he hasn't met them, do they even know who he is? 

 

The next thing Brian knew Dan was going to be doing a show with Arin. His first business partner left their let's play show to pursue his own career, and Dan had been asked to be his replacement. Brian was growing anxious, Dan was doing well, but they were due for a video. They had written the entirety of their second album, but a video was needed. Brian knew it was his fault, teaching had been taking up nearly all of his time and he needed to make time for Dan. 

 

~~

 

“I’m excited that you’re coming to visit.”  Dan was sitting in his new apartment. There were still boxes left unpacked, but at least the wifi was taken care of right away.

 

“Yeah me too. I’m totally gonna come and see you and get some filming done.” Brian was sitting in his office at home. This was their first video chat in a few months since they had both been so busy. Brian was happy to see Dan, but he seemed tired.

 

“Jet lagged?” he asked and Dan nodded.

 

“Yeah. The move took a lot out of me. Arin and Suzy helped me move so it wasn’t so bad,” he said and Brian's eye twitched a little.

 

“I’m really excited to actually meet them! You talk about them like all the time.”

 

“Yeah, they’re really cool. They want to meet you too, same with Ross and Barry.”

 

“Ross and Barry?” At least Arin and Suzy knew who he was, but who were Ross and Barry?

 

“Yeah, they’re friends of Arin and Suzy. Ross is actually an NSP fan! From like, way back from the first video.” 

 

“Oh, that’s actually really cool.” 

 

“Yeah.”

 

There was an awkward silence between them and Brian didn’t know how to continue the conversation. Dan blinked tiredly at the screen.

 

“Hey, babe, listen, I’m keeping you up. Why don’t you get some sleep and I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” Brian suggested and Dan nodded.

 

“Okay...I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Bri.”

 

“I-I love you, Dan,” Brian said as Dan was about to hang up. He smiled at Brian and ran his fingers through his hair.

 

“I love you, too, Brian. Goodnight.” He hung up and Brian never felt more lonely.

 

~~

 

Brian’s plane landed and his knees shook in anticipation. He had wanted to actually see and hold Dan for so long and the fact that he was nearly there made him want to cry. He went to baggage claim and waited for his suitcase, constantly checking his phone to see where Dan was. Last he checked, he was still on the highway and he hadn’t heard from Dan.

 

He sat off to the side by his baggage claim since that was the last place he told Dan where he would be. He kept checking his phone and kept waiting. What if Dan forgot about him and he really wasn’t coming? Brian shook his head, he knew he was being stupid. Whenever someone would walk through the door to the building he would look to see if it was Dan. He looked at all the other entrances and even the escalators. Maybe they were just missing each other.

“Brian?” He heard a voice and turned to see Dan standing by the door holding his car keys. Dan smiled brightly at him as he made his way towards Brian. 

 

Brian picked him up into a bear hug and actually lifted Dan off the ground. Dan squeaked and held onto Brian’s neck and squeezed him back.

“I missed you, Brian.” he said as his feet hit the ground. Brian caressed his face and kissed him deeply. Dan blushed and quickly pulled away.

“Bri.” He looked around, Dan wasn't big on PDA, but Brian didn’t really care at the moment.

“I missed you so much.” Brian hugged Dan tightly and tried not to cry. He didn’t want to do it in public. Dan just held him and rubbed his back.

“C’mon. Let’s get you in the car.” Dan smiled down at Brian. 

 

~~

 

Before taking him home, Dan stopped to get some dinner for the both of them. They walked inside of a sushi restaurant.

“Can we afford this?” Brian asked.

“Yeah man. This place isn’t that expensive even.” They were seated and Dan shook out his hair a little.

“It was actually Arin who showed me this place,” he said. He hadn’t been on the ground for more than an hour and Dan was already talking about Arin.

“Oh?” He tried to sound interested as Dan told him about his first time meeting Arin. 

 

Dan stopped talking after a while and looked embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, I’m rambling. How was your flight?” 

“It was long and I slept through most of it. Definitely not use to the time change yet.” 

“Well, when we get back to my place you can shower, sleep whatever you wanna do.” He held Brian’s hand and smiled.

“I’m just...happy to be here, Dan.” He kissed Dan's hand and he smiled.

“Me too.”

 

~~

 

The front door was barely shut when Brian pushed Dan against the wall and kissed him hard. Dan made a surprised noise, but kissed back just as hard. Brian hiked up Dan's leg as it wrapped around his waist and ground against Dan. Dan pulled back from Brian's mouth and moaned as he clutched onto the back of Brian's shirt. He pushed Brian onto the couch and climbed on top of him as he discarded his own shirt.

 

Brian could feel Dan getting hard through his jeans as he was pressed against him. He explored Brian's mouth with his tongue as Dan tried to undo his pants. Brian tangled his fingers in Dan’s hair and flipped them over. Dan pawed at Brian's belt as his fingers fumbled with the buckle. Once Brian was out they shifted so Brian was sitting down and Dan collapsed on his knees.

 

Dan took Brian's hard cock into his mouth and moan around him as he gently bobbed his head. Brian laid back a little and just watched Dan. He gently placed his hand on the top of Dan’s head.

“Good boy,” he moaned and that excited Dan. He took a little more in and screwed his eyes shut. Brian knew that Dan had a praise kink and he used it to his advantage. He felt himself and he gently squeezed the top of Dan’s head.

“S-stop, I want you,” he panted and Dan pulled off him. He was drooling a little as he caught his breath. He leaned up and kissed Brian softly as they stood up together and Dan pulled Brian into the bedroom.

 

Brian had Dan pinned onto the bed as they discarded the rest of their clothes. Dan panted as Brian settled in between his legs and wrapped his lips around Dan’s head. Brian teased his entrance with his finger as Dan passed him the bottle of lube. Brian prepped Dan, keeping him still with one hand and working him open with another. All Dan could do was lay there and take it, feeling his knot wanting to pop.

“Not yet, hang on.” Brian pulled off him and grabbed a condom. Dan propped himself up on his elbows as Brian slowly eased his way inside of Dan. He threw his head back and moaned, He didn’t stop until he was inside Dan completely.

~~

 

It was slow at first, both men needing a moment to catch their breath as they readjusted to the feeling of being together. Brian slowly rolled his hips and held Dan close, feeling him shake a little.

“Shh..” Brian kissed Dan’s cheek and slowly began thrusting. Dan held onto Brian and clenched around him. They kept a steady pace until they fully got back into a familiar rhythm. Dan sat up and began rolling his hips back to meet Brian’s. 

 

Dan placed his hand on Brian's chest and flipped them over so Dan was straddling him. Brian held onto Dan’s hips as he began to bounce on Brian. They were hard and quick and Dan dug his nails into Brian's shoulders. Brian loved when Dan took control and used him as a way to get off. Brian reached between Dans legs and jerked Dan off.

“Oh fuck, Brian!” Dan thrusted faster chasing his orgasm. Brian gripped onto Dan’s hip with one hand and jerked him off with the other, thrusting upward. 

 

The room was filled with the sounds of their bodies, moans, and the bed creaking. They were both close and Brian's knot was going to pop. He quickly pushed Dan off of him and he collapsed on the bed. 

“Brian!” Dan whined, but Brian put him on his knees and grabbed onto his hips. He slid back in and slammed into Dan. He grabbed onto the bed frame and cried out as Dan’s knot popped and he was coming all over the bed. Hearing Dan come was just enough to send Brian over the edge, knotting Dan’s ass. 

 

They couldn’t move for some time, literally being unable to move since they were knotted together. When they were able to move, Brian collapsed onto the bed and was panting heavily, he was so tired. It’d been some time since they’d been that intimate, and knotting takes a lot out of an Alpha. 

 

Dan’s legs were shaking as he laid on the bed completely and looked at Brian with a dazed expression.

“I’m laying in too much of my own jizz,” he panted. Brian smiled and laughed, using all his energy to roll over and kiss him.

“Nap first, then clean,” he managed to say and Dan nodded.

“Yeah...yeah sounds good.” His eyes were closed before he finished his sentence. Brian just settled next to Dan and fell asleep next to his lover. 

  
  
  



	4. "Why are you here?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian meets Arin and Suzy. Dan wonders why Brian even wanted to come back to the states

Meeting Arin and Suzy could have gone...better.

 

Dan could hear Suzy apologize from inside the house as he stood outside with Brian. He was holding his hair in his hands and pacing.  He was trying to calm Brian down, but nothing he said seemed to work.

“Did you hear what she said?” Brian asked through his teeth. He was understandably annoyed.

“It was a misunderstanding, I think more of a joke,” Dan said.

“That wasn’t funny!”

“I know and she’s sorry. Let her apologize.”

 

Fifteen minutes before Dan and Brian came over to the Hanson household. Brian met Arin and he seemed okay, exactly like the person Dan had been raving about on the phone. Suzy came out not too long after and then they were introduced. That was when Suzy asked:  _ “Oh, this is the Brian with the STD?”   _ Things went down from there. Arin and Dan had to separate the two of them. Now, Dan and Brian were outside while Arin was with Suzy inside.

 

Dan gently took Brian's arms.

“Come on, man. She didn’t mean it. Suzy is like one of the sweetest girls!” he said.

“Sure.” Brian rolled his eyes.

“Hey, Bri, come on, it was a misunderstanding.” 

“Yeah, I know I can still be annoyed by it,” Brian groaned. He knew he was being a tad irrational, but he was still annoyed. He shook his head. Alpha hormones were making him stupid. He looked to Dan who looked concerned as he took a deep breath and faced him.

“Alright, let's try this again.”

 

~~

 

The second time around went a little better. Suzy looked upset as Arin stood beside her.

“I honestly didn't mean to offend you.” She looked him in the eye, but he shook it off.

“Its cool. I didn't act so hot myself,” Brian admitted. Dan and Arin looked to each other, happy to see the situation diffuse. 

“Okay, so why don't we get settled in. We ordered take out, it should be here soon.” Arin started walking to the living room.

“What did you order?” Brian asked.

“Just some pizza to make it easy. Dan told me what you liked on your pizza.” He sat on the couch and Suzy sat next to him. Dan sat on an arm chair and Brian sat across from him on the other chair. 

“So, Suzy, Dan tells me you used to model?” Brian tried to get the conversation rolling again. He wanted to make up for his behavior on a missed joke, a joke he should have gotten right away. 

“Oh, yeah! When Arin and I first moved out here I was really into modeling…” Suzy talked about her short lived modeling career as Arin popped in with a comment or two during her story.

“You two have been together for quite a while.” Brian sat back in the armchair relaxing a bit.

“Yeah almost our whole lives.” Arin smiled and Dan make a fake throw up noise as a joke.

“Well, how long have you two been together?” Suzy asked, looking between Dan and Brian. Dan looked up to the ceiling in thought now.

“God, how long has it been now?” he asked.

“Before I left so....”

“Two...almost three years,” Dan said quietly. 

 

Dan was looking at Brian. They both had that realization that they had been together for closer to three years. Why didn’t either of them realize that? Was it because Brian was away? Were they just bad with anniversaries? 

“Thats amazing!”

“Brian was away in England for most of it,” Dan said suddenly. Brian clutched onto the armrest of the chair when Dan said that. It was said with just the right amount of passive aggressive intent.

“Well, I sort of had an idea that I was going before we became official,” Brian retorted. 

Dan rolled his eyes and sat back in the chair. “Which you knew,” Brian said a little more sternly. 

 

It was seen as a miracle that the pizza guy showed up right then. Suzy went to get it while Arin took Dan and Brian to the kitchen. He started getting down plates for them. Dan was leaning against the counter while Brian stood at the opposite end of the kitchen. It was awkwardly quiet and Arin tried to ease the tension a little.

“So uh, while you were here you wanted to film some videos, right?” he asked.

“Yeah, and you still want to direct Party of Three, right?” Dan asked.

“Yeah definitely, man, that's no problem! Happy to do it.” He smiled. With their second album almost done, Dan was already writing songs for their third album. Just to stay occupied and keep the band afloat while Brian was away. 

 

~~

 

Suzy came back with the pizzas and everyone took a slice and sat at the table to eat. Suzy was in control of most of the conversation, just to keep it going. Her and Brian had good conversational chemistry with one another so things weren’t as awkward as they were previously.  Brian told many stories from living and teaching in England. 

 

Dan and Arin popped in with a joke here and there. They had very good comedic chemistry and Brian saw the look in Dan's eye. Dan liked Arin and he probably didn't know it yet. His own heart hurt, he didn't want to lose Dan. 

 

Before they left for the night Brian turned to Suzy and Arin

 

“I want to apologize for my outburst earlier,” he said.

 

“Hey, its cool.” Arin shook his hand and Suzy nodded.

 

“Yeah, it's all worked out now. No big.” Suzy still seemed a little on edge from her special feux pa. Arin put his arm around her.

 

“We’ll come by later in the week to film, cool?” Dan asked. They finalized their plans and Brian left with Dan.

 

~~

 

It was quiet on the ride home. Dan was driving since Brian no longer had a valid license in the states. Dan seemed relaxed, but he would occasionally glance over to Brian. They both needed to talk, but were unsure how to start.

 

As they parked, they both sat quietly. Dan ran his fingers through his hair and looked to the roof of the car. Brian drummed his fingers on his knee when Dan looked over.

 

“Why are you here?” he asked. 

 

Brian looked over at Dan, his expression hurt. 

 

“What?”

 

“Why are you here?” Dan repeated

 

“I’m here for us!” Brian exclaimed and turned to him. “What do you mean ‘why am I here’? I'm here for you! For us!” 

 

“You just seemed more interested in your teaching and England than you were with our band.” Dan kept his gaze down. 

 

“What about you, huh? You and Arin kept carrying on like I wasn't even in the room!”

 

“He's my friend!”

 

“And I’m your boyfriend!” Dan closed his eyes and hid his face in his hands.

 

“I'm sorry my work is all I can talk about! It's all I do unless I’m with you. I don't have friends in England, just colleges.” Brian sat back.

 

They were both getting heated. Dan was trembling and Brian was trying his best not to growl when he spoke.  

 

“If...you don't want this anymore I understand,” Dan looked to him. “I know you worked your ass off getting that job. I shouldn't make you choose between that and me.” He should have known. Another band failure, Brian was a success with a secure job. Dan was holding him back and he knew it. His heart hurt, it would for a while, but he’d get better eventually.

 

Brian grabbed Dan by his hair and kissed him hard. Dan gasped as he fell into Brian to kiss him back.

 

“I love you. I love you so much, Danny. You have...no idea how much I miss you. It gets harder and harder to leave you.” Brian was gasping in between sobs as he spoke. Dan caressed Brian's face.

 

“I don't want you to leave again…” 

 

“Then I won't,” Brian said seriously.

 

“What about your job? You worked so hard!” Dan looked panicked. He didn't want Brian to throw away years of schooling for him.

 

“You're acting like I haven't thought about this,” Brian said bluntly. He gently kissed Dan again. “Because I have, and I would much rather be here, with you, with our band and happy, then be in England alone and missing you.” 

 

Dan broke down and hugged Brian tightly. Brian held him and rubbed his back, hiding in Dan's shoulder. He pulled away to wipe his eyes on his sleeve.

 

“Will you move in with me?” Dan asked and Brian nodded. 

 

“It’ll take some time and planning to get everything settled, but yes. I want to live with you.” Brian smiled and kissed Dan's forehead.

 

“We should go inside,” Dan laughed.

 

~~

 

It took some time for everything to be finalized. Dan and Brian recorded their video as directed by Arin, and Brian went back to England shortly after. He would watch Dan and Arin’s show when he could as he was also put in charge of the NSP social media. 

 

Brian was counting down the days until he moved back to the states to be with Dan. He was on friendlier terms with Suzy which put Arin and Dan at ease. Brian got along with everyone in their friend group which padded his excitement to be back to America. 

 

He would send a few of his belongings to Dan so when he actually moved it wouldn't be a lot to take with him. Suzy helped Dan reorganize his apartment to accommodate Brian’s belongings, which he appreciated greatly. Dan admired Suzy’s sense of style.

 

It was almost another year before Brian came back to America to stay. Dan was standing at the airport waiting for him with a big smile on his face. Brian smiled back as Dan ran up to him, hugging and kissing him. Dan was content in Brian's arms, despite being in public, happy that he was back to stay forever. 

 


	5. Arin's dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin is conflicted over his feelings for Dan. He doesn't want to ruin what they have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very aware the last time I updated this was November. But! I'm glad to be working on this again!! Hopefully you won't have to wait so long for the next one!!

“Next time on Game Grumps, Dan is going to fuck my ass!” Arin signed off as Dan yelped.

“ _ Arin _ !”  They signed off in a fit of laughter as Arin hit the button to pause the recording. Dan leaned over to take a sip of his tea. With singing and yelling at video games with Arin for as long as he has, he had to keep his throat in check. 

Arin sat back and checked his phone as they took a little break. They weren't too far into their recording day and they still had a lot to cram in. They were going out on tour soon so there was that excitement that kept them going.

“So, when are you gonna finally fuck my ass, Daniel?” Arin teased and Dan rolled his eyes.

“Dude, I am  _ not  _ doing that,” he assured 

“But you're blushing!” Arin pointed out and Dan ducked his head. 

“Shut up,” he laughed.

“Does Brian do most of the ass fucking in your relationship then?” Arin pressed. 

“Dude! Why are you so interested all of a sudden?” Dan looked at him.

He knew Arin joked like this on the show, but now that they weren't recording, he wasn't sure why he was pressing so hard. Arin tensed a bit and pulled his hair back.

“I'm just wondering that's all. You don't really talk about your relationship much,” he told Dan. He did like to keep his relationships private, especially with Brian. 

They were out with their small group of friends, but in the public eye Dan wanted to keep that part quiet. He wasn’t sure if it actually bothered Brian or not.

Dan looked over to see that Arin looked a little on edge. He sighed and rubbed Arin’s back.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized and Arin shook his head.

“Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have asked.” Arin blew it off.

“Nah, man, that was wrong of me to jump down your throat like that.” Dan grinned 

“Lemme make it up to you? I'll buy you lunch!” 

“Sure, we're getting sushi then!”

“Of course we are.”

~~

Arin entered his home with a sigh. Leaning against the door, he kicked off his shoes and sank to the floor. Mochi came over and curled around Arin’s legs and he got a few pets out of it.

“Arin, is that you?” Suzy called from the kitchen.

“Yeah.” He stood up and walked over.

Suzy was in the kitchen. It smelled of chicken and dumplings and Arin instantly felt better. He loved her cooking and today he needed some extra comfort. He shuffled over to her and gave her a lazy hug and kiss on her head. She smiled and looked up at him, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a tight squeeze.

“What's that for?” he asked.

“You look like you needed the hug,” she said.

“You know me too well.” He leaned against the counter to let Suzy cook.

They let the room be silent for a moment. They knew they didn’t have to have continuous conversations. Arin and Suzy practically had a mental link as some of their friends liked to tease. But they weren’t wrong, they knew everything about each other, even things that were never completely said. Arin appreciated that. Suzy never pressured him to tell her anything if he wasn’t ready. She trusted him to tell her when he was comfortable, just as she was doing now.

Arin watched as she stirred the pot of broth and took in the smell, letting it calm him. By the time Suzy covered the pot with the lid, he was ready to talk. He stood up straight and turned to Suzy.

“So, I tried talking to Dan today,” he started.

“Yeah?” Suzy went to the other side of the kitchen to take a sip of her coffee. “How’d that go?” she asked. 

“Not too well, he got defensive. But I could have gone about it a little better.” Arin sat on the counter.

“So, does he know you like him?” Suzy asked, but Arin shook his head.

“No, he has no idea. I tried asking more about his relationship with Brian but…” he trailed off and Suzy nodded.

“I gotcha. Do you want me to try and talk to him?” she asked

“I dunno.” Arin shrugged. “Would it make a difference? How can you go up to him and say, ‘Hey! My husband really likes you and wants to date you even though you have a boyfriend who is also a good friend of ours!’?” He mimicked a semi feminine voice and Suzy had to force herself to not smile.

“I know, just, maybe in the middle of a session isn’t the best time to talk about it. Try after or, when you’re off,” Suzy suggested.

“When are we  _ ever  _ off, Suzy?” Arin asked and she held up her hands.

“Just, think about it? He deserves to know at least,” she said. 

“Yeah...I’ll try.” He looked over at the pot.

“Are these done yet? I’m starving.”

~~

Around the office the next day, Arin did decide to have Dan and Brian over for dinner. It was something they did when they could. It had been some time since their last “double date”, as Brian would put it. He texted Suzy for the OK.

_ Suzy- I'd have to go shopping but yeah! Ask them and we can all plan _

_ Arin- Okay baby! _

Arin put his phone in his pocket as he looked at his computer. He got another email and groaned. He thought he was done this? He began to answer the email. Later on, as Arin went to get a drink, Brian was trying out Facebook live. Brian looked over and grinned at Arin.

“Hey guys, look! It's Arin!” Brian made his way to him, holding the phone out in front of him.

“Hey everyone” Arin waved and took a sip from a water bottle.

“Drinking up?” Brian asked. 

“Yeah, getting that fucking hydration in me.” Arin chugged a little more.

“Good, stay hydrated, kids.” Brian pointed to the phone then looked back at Arin. 

“I gotta be a boss man somewhere.” Arin began to leave, but Brian waved.

“Alright! Bye Mister Boss Man, Arin.” Brian joked and turned his focus back to the stream.

When Arin was finishing at his desk he got a text from Brian.

_ Brian- Suzy asked me about a double date and Danny and I are totally in! Do we need to bring anything? _

_ Arin- You gotta ask Suzy. She’s the planner not me lol. _

~~

Dan and Brian were getting ready to go to Arin and Suzy’s. Brian was told to pick up some ice cream for the end of the night. He and Dan were walking down the aisle as the decided on a flavor. Dan yawned as he handed it to Brian.

“You carry it, it’s too cold to hold,” he told him.

“You rhymed.” Brian rubbed his back.

“Yeah I’m a rhymin’ master,” Dan joked as they went to the checkout line. Brian paid for it and they were off to the Hansons. 

Brian kept glancing at Dan, he was rocking his head to the music on the radio. It had been a while since they had dinner with Arin and Suzy. They enjoyed going to their home. It was always so inviting and comforting. Dan told Brian many stories about the times he spent the night there while he was away in England. Brian reached over and took Dan’s hand, squeezing it. Dan looked back at Brian and smiled.

~~

They arrived and right off the bat Dan could tell that Arin seemed off. He wasn’t his normal giggly self. He was drawing in on himself and standing off to the side. Dan knew that Arin was more introverted than him, but even around his friends he didn’t act like this. Suzy didn’t seem to notice, which seemed wrong to Dan. Suzy and Arin were always completely in sync.

Brian and Suzy were in the kitchen, Suzy showing Brian how to make dumplings. Brian was able to grasp the concept, but didn’t have the proper hand technique for it. Abandoning his cup of tea on the table, Dan went to go find Arin. 

~~

Arin was sitting out on the porch. The sun was going down so it wasn’t as hot as it was that afternoon. He was looking at his phone when Dan sat beside him. Arin set his phone down quickly and looked over.

“Hey, Ar.” Dan leaned on his hands and watched him. He still seemed on edge, and Dan wanted to help. 

“Hey.” Arin flipped his hair from his face, his cheeks slightly pink and Dan arched an eyebrow. 

“What’s up? I thought you would be all over cooking?” Dan asked. He knew how much Arin liked to cook, especially for a group of people. Arin was the one who ended up doing the majority of the cooking when they had date nights. 

“Yeah, but Suzy wanted to do it. So I let her.” Arin tried to play it cool. 

“Let her? Don’t let her hear you say that!” Dan laughed and Arin smiled along with him.

“I’ll try,” he said. Dan nudged Arin’s shoulder with his own.

“You’re not yourself though, tell me what’s up,” Dan pressed ever slightly.

Brian and Suzy could be heard from inside. Arin wasn’t able to make out the conversation, he just knew that Suzy was laughing. The smell of chicken and dumplings came from the house and it relaxed him slightly. He looked over at Dan. He was staring at Arin was such concern on his face. Arin really felt bad.

He felt bad for the feelings he had. He felt bad that he was even considering telling Dan how he felt. What if this would end their friendship? His career? His life was so intertwined with Dan at this point, that the idea of him suddenly being gone hurt.

Arin knew he was being selfish. He knew that even thinking about work right now was selfish. Maybe it was his fault for getting personal and business too close to each other. But, Dan and Brian worked together, they had a band! Was it different? Maybe it was like what he had with Suzy. Arin’s thoughts and feelings were beginning to get too loud, he felt overwhelmed.

“Hey…” A voice broke through the loud thoughts and a hand took his. It was soft and stronger than he anticipated. Arin looked over to Dan who was sitting closer to him now.

“What’s wrong with you?” Dan asked. 

Dan was looking at Arin with such worry and concern, it made his heart hurt. Dan was too nice, and Arin didn’t even deserve his friendship. So much was riding on Dan’s answer, but that’s what scared Arin. He didn’t want to push Dan away for anything. He knew that he had the support of his wife, but what would Brian think? He didn’t fully think this through and now he was stuck.

Arin faced Dan and held onto his hand tightly. He took a few deep breaths to try and calm his nerves. Dan, bless his heart, even rubbed Arin’s arm for comfort.

“You can tell me anything, Big Cat,” Dan said in a comforting tone. Arin broke. Dan was using his pet name, his special name. The one he used when they would record for their show. He was using it now, where only he could hear. He needed to tell him.

Looking Dan directly in his eyes, clutching his hands. Arin spoke.

“I like you, Dan,” he said. Dan huffed a laugh and sat back.

“I like you too, Ar. You’re like, my best friend.” Dan looked relieved, but Arin shook his head.

“No, I like you. Like, like you.” Arin emphasised his meaning. Dan watched him and arched and eyebrow. The wheels in his head beginning to turn as he processed Arin’s confession. He looked at Arin seriously and was about to speak when Brian called them inside for dinner. 

Dan looked at Arin and let go of his hands. Standing up, he quickly ran into the house. Arin clutched onto the steps as he held back tears. His heart was going a mile a minute and now he had to face his wife, his crush, and his crushes boyfriend. He couldn’t do this, but he had too. Wiping off his face, he slowly went inside. His head held low in shame and disappointment.


End file.
